Confusion About Craig Frost

Tuesday March 22, 2022, is a runoff election in Lake Worth Beach. The PBCEC is asking you to vote and volunteer to get others out, by making phone calls/texts, waving signs, and working your social media network.

All districts vote. Polls open from 7am to 7pm. 

As you may have noticed by now, there is a problem with Craig Frost. You might have read about it in the newspaper, or gotten mail, calls or text about it. Some of it has gotten confusing, and its possible there is a straight up disinformation campaign attempting to garner support for Frost by making people feel bad for him. Its a pretty weird strategy, but it seems worth taking a closer look at before going to the polls.

It should be made clear that, in our opinion, the problem with Craig Frost is not that he didn't answer the Post or Sentinel questionnaires or respond to the requests for interviews. It's not that he has a criminal record (which is very common), or that he said he didn't know about it (which is pretty strange). And it's also not about there being too much trash in the garbage can from the picture there on D Street. 

Craig deserves the sympathy and support for his battle with cancer that he has shared publicly. And he deserves respect for his community involvement despite having a criminal record. But that doesn't mean that he should have a position of representing the people of Lake Worth. 

The problem with Frost as a commissioner has little to do with Craig at all. It doesn't really even have much to do with the Gulfstream. (While that is certainly a project worth scrutinizing from various angles, we feel it is also being overplayed to drive division between neighbors. There is a much bigger picture to be thinking about. Props to former candidate Daniel Morgan—who is supporting Diaz—for giving voice to that position.)

The problem with Craig is who is behind him, and who he will be beholden to; who is contributing funds, putting up yard signs at the properties they are speculating on, who is pushing for him to get elected in order to further their business interests. The problem is people supporting candidates that will make them more money at the expense of driving people out of neighborhoods in pursuit of the twisted demographics changes that previous commissioners have heralded, and long term impacts to the planet, that shortsighted real estate greed and overdevelopment result in.

There is no shocker here. It's not a conspiracy theory. Every election year, we see yard signs pop up in vacant lots. These serve as the initial indicators of real estate speculators attempting to influence election results. 

Such as is the case of the photo here, property on the corner of D Street and Lucerne owned by real estate speculator Greg Rice displays signs for Frost. (This is confirmed by the PAPA record pictured below.)

The campaign contribution forms here show donations from the Realtors PAC and CDS Int'l. 

These are the type of entities that funded the commission majority over the past 10 years, facilitating corporate giveaway to developers in the form of variance, zoning increases, "sustainability" bonuses, tax abatements and selective code enforcement policies.

In response to having this pointed out, Craig Frost's campaign strategists have attempted to divert attention to a local architect, environmentalist and smart growth advocate, Anne Fairfax, who has donated to the campaign of Reinaldo Diaz. 

Craig Frost's, pro-development supporters seem to be feigning concern about this supposed conflict to confuse voters on the fence. Or they may be taking a cheap shot at Fairfax, a part-time local who helped found a group that is challenging downtown development, because she has been an outspoken critic of the CRA planning process, presenting counter visions of development plans that better integrate with the existing neighborhood. (Note: PBCEC doesn't necessarily agree with Fairfax proposals.)

While a commissioner's relationship to people in the real estate industry should certainly be scrutinized, activists with PBCEC have worked with both Diaz and Fairfax on local land use issues, and found them to be well-informed and strong allies of greater community control over the direction of development. 

Hopefully that helps you decide how to make your decision tomorrow.  

Info on Lake Worth 2022 Elections: District 4 and Ballot Items

[UPDATE: There is a runoff election on March 22. The fundraising deadline is March 17th at 11:59 pm. You can donate on his website. Please kick in $25 today, and spread the word. Follow his social media for more info on volunteering. With Reinaldo elected, this would give us a more solid commission majority for pro-environmental and community-centered decisions. It's much harder to turn out less engaged voters in a runoff, so we need your help, on the phones, knocking doors, and donating funds, ASAP. Report on 3/8 Results.
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As local environmentalists and community activists in Lake Worth Beach may have noticed, our success in re-electing Christopher McVoy for District 2 was not contested by a pro-developer candidate, so he will thankfully continue to hold that seat. It was a major sigh of relief after all the work we put in engaging voters to show up at the polls last year.

But the District 4 seat is now up for grabs, as Herman Robinson leaves office. There are three names on the ballot. There are also some important ballot questions to vote on. We succeeded in creating a major shift last year, unseating four developer-backed, socially-conservative candidates, three of which had been in office for a decade+, but the pressure of real estate greed continues to impact commission decisions. 

For example last year, a significant upzoning for the proposed Deco Green development passed in a 3-2 vote, requiring neighbors, environmentalists and local affordable housing advocates to file a lawsuit aiming to send it back to the drawing board for a reassessment of the city's "sustainability bonus" and deeper input from surrounding residents. (Details on that fight here.) Who gets into office this year would have a real impact on decisions like this one, which affects the cost of housing and the quality of life for the low-rise, working class neighborhoods that make up most of the city.

Here's a little about the candidates and the ballot items to aid in casting an informed ballot.

Diaz works with kids to clean the Lagoon

District 4 candidates

Reinaldo Diaz: He has an extensive background in land use law and policy, as well as the management of a non-profit, public interest organization. Born and raised in the city, he is the founder of Lake Worth Waterkeeper, advocating to protect water quality in the lagoon and surrounding watershed. He could be an excellent asset, bringing valuable skills and experience to the commission. Learn more about him here. The Sun Sentinel did a good write up in their endorsement of him, which you can find here. 

Morgan speaks on public health at press event

Daniel Morgan: As a former employee of the Guatemalan Maya Center, and a current case worker for refugees, he has relationships with central figures in the local community of immigrants, many who have been here decades with little to no representation in the city's political affairs. He was a member of the City's Charter Review Committee. While he is a relatively recent resident of the city, he brings a fresh energy that could be a great addition to the commission. Learn more about him here.

Every year, we see yard signs pop up in vacant lots
during election time, as real estate speculators
attempt to influence results.
In this case, property owned by Greg Rice,
which should be a city park,
instead piles up with garbage
...and campaigns for Frost. 

Craig Frost: Craig seems like an alright guy, owns a local upholstery business and participates in the neighborhood associations. Unfortunately for him, he has the support of the previous commissioner and is the choice of many from the pro-development, chamber of commerce, real estate speculator crowd. His campaign literature has the tired old cliché about running city hall like a business. According to his campaign's Facebook page, he worked at Capri Pizza when he was in high school. They have pretty good pizza, but that's not enough to overlook where his primary support is coming from. 

When people say "the city should be run like a business," we think the response should be "sure, a nonprofit business, where public interest is the driving force rather than profit-making." To that end, Morgan and Diaz both shine. Frost, not so much.

Ballot Questions:

Voters in Lake Worth Beach also will decide four ballot questions. 

Question 1 is about term limits: Vote Yes. 

The city currently has none. This item would limit commissioners to two consecutive three-year terms in one seat, and 12 consecutive years in local office. You wanna go longer than that, you gotta take a break for a term. There are mixed feelings among some about term limits for higher office, like in Congress or the State Legislature because of "losing institutional knowledge and shifting power from novice legislators to entrenched lobbyists and staffers," as the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board put it. But it's very different on this level. We want a variety of voices coming into the commission.

Question 2 is about runoff elections: Mixed feelings, but No.

The reality of local elections is that a very small number of people actually show up for them. A candidate should be able to show that they have 51% of the those votes, without the runner up being made to feel that they are wasting time or money, and being pressured to concede. On the other hand, a run-off candidate conceding may offer insight about that person, so you can take note of it in case they come back and ask for your vote in the future. Either way, the fact that it happened in 2019 isn't reason to worry too much, as it doesn't happen often enough to warrant stress over which way you vote on it. Flip a coin, leave it blank, not a major concern.

Question 3 single-member districts: Vote No

This would result in each commissioner being elected only by voters in that district. Currently they run city-wide (or 'at large'), and all voters vote in every race. Single districts may make sense in larger cities, where there are vast differences from one district to another, but in Lake Worth it is misguided. It would most likely exacerbate the existing segregation in this small town, where the wealthier, whiter pockets hold a concentration of votes. Districts 1 and 2 may become easier elections to win for community activists and grassroots folks, but easier doesn't always mean better quality. And securing broader community representation for districts 3 and 4 could become much more difficult, which would make the campaign for mayor higher stakes, concentrating developer influence on what would become the primary swing commission vote. This would further polarize the town along race and class lines, rather than pushing us out of our comfort zones to cross town and work in various neighborhoods to figure out solutions to common problems in this relatively small geographic area. 

Question 4 fill a commission vacancy before the next election. Vote Yes

This is basically a low-stakes technical issue. As the Sun Sentinel put it in their endorsement: "Unfilled seats disenfranchise residents, leaving them without a voice."

That's our two-cents on the matter. We encourage folks to make up their own mind, and then get out in the streets and engage with your community.

Oh, and if you still have a Vote By Mail ballot, mail it soon or bring it directly in to the Supervisor of Elections office. If you are undecided up until the end, bring your mail-in ballot with you to the polls, otherwise you will have to vote by provisional ballot, which slows down the final election results.

Lake Worth Beach needs term limits... Until then we can vote them out on March 9

The Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition has devoted much time and energy over the past 17 years to pushing back against the interests of developers in the Lake Worth area seeking to overpower the interests of the local residents in this community that is predominantly a collection of low-rise, working class coastal neighborhoods. 

But development and real estate greed in what is now called Lake Worth Beach is not just about pavement and pollution, its also an environmental justice issue.

Even the 2010 census (which was thought to have significantly under counted immigrant residents) reported that 60% of the city was made up of Black, Latinx and Indigenous people, largely from Central American and Caribbean countries, many of whom have been making their homes in Lake Worth since fleeing wars and repression in the 1980s.

While there has long been a tension between the residents of the city and the people seeking to maximize profits through real estate investments, that has come to a head in recent years, with an increased effort to push people out by abusive code enforcement policies, even exploiting the pandemic to shut off unpaid utilities of these same residents and their families.

This commission has sought to refute these claims on a very superficial levels, using red scare tactics reminiscent of the McCarthy-era, claiming that the community activists monitoring and exposing these efforts are just getting in the way of progress.

If greed, racism, exploitation and evicting families to make room for high-rise luxury condos are the definition or progress, then the PBCEC is proud to join residents standing in the way of it.

While we are not endorsing candidates in this election, as shown above, we are seeking to educate the public about the current incumbents and show an example of those who are running for their seats. In that spirit, we note the following:

In District 2, Christopher McVoy is a former City Commissioner with a solid record of voting favorably on issues of climate, environment and water quality, as well as social concerns related to immigrant rights and racial justice. His main opponent, Carla Blockson, claims to be independent of the current commissioners but was appointed to fill the District 2 commission seat by the incumbents listed above after the election cycle had already started, and is seen driving around town in the current mayor's personal golf cart.

In District 3, Kim Stokes and Drew Martin both have strong track records and vocal commitments to community activism for environmental and social concerns. Their main opponent has generally voted as a shill for developers for the past 10 years.

In District 1, Sarah Malega has expressed concerns surrounding development, affordable housing, immigrants rights and police accountability. Her only opponents has a 20 year legacy in public office as a deceptive far-right bigot (for example, speaking out recently against community IDs intended to ensure the safety of undocumented residents). He led efforts to shut down a day labor resource center, disband a police oversight board, and end the city's energy conservation program. While he once appeared independent on development issues, he has long since proven to be a tool of developers. Not to mention, he's a MAGA hat-wearing chairperson of the Palm Beach Republican Party's Political Committee. 

For Mayor, Betty Resch has joined her neighbors in opposing a multimillion dollar handout to developers threatening to forever change the character of the downtown neighborhood she lives in. While we have had disagreements with Resch in the past over some development issues, it is quite clear that the current mayor is a right-wing PR agent for real estate flipping junkies, and it's long past time to kick these fiends and their pushers out out of town. 

That's our two-cents on the matter. We encourage to make up your own mind, and then get out in the streets and engage with your community. 

Oh, and if you still have a Vote By Mail ballot, bring it directly in to the Supervisor of Elections office. Its cutting it too close to mail it.

Environmental activist challenges notorious settlement between Lake Point and South Florida Water Management District for violating Florida’s Sunshine Law

Lake Point Ranches development on the south side of Kanner Highway one mile east of Lake Okeechobee in this photo taken in November 2013.

Read the full lawsuit, filed March 11, 2019, here 

After years of contentious litigation involving a suit filed by Lake Point Phase I, LLC and Lake Point Phase II, LLC against the South Florida Water Management District, the District’s Governing Board held a meeting with its General Counsel Brian Accardo behind closed doors to discuss the case. Moments after the closed-door meeting concluded, and without advance release of the settlement agreement or public discussion regarding its merits, the District’s Board voted unanimously to settle the case on terms that were at the time undisclosed. [Additional background on this case can be found here.]

According to a lawsuit filed Monday, March 11, 2019, the first day of “Government in the Sunshine Week,“ this sort of ceremonious pageantry to formally accept an agreement that had already been decided upon entirely behind closed doors blatantly violates Florida’s open government laws.What actually transpired in that “shade meeting” is not known because the District has refused to release the transcript of the closed-door session with its attorney, in spite of a legal requirement that it do so as soon as the litigation was concluded.

In fact, the District was so anxious to keep the discussions that took place behind closed doors top secret, it sued an environmental organization, Everglades Law Center, for having made a public records request for a copy of the transcript. Initially the District claimed the transcript could not be made public because there was still on-going litigation between Lake Point and another party. In later pleadings, the District claimed that the transcript must remain secret not only until all the related litigation ends, but forever, because the closed-door meeting included discussions of what had happened at a prior court ordered mediation, and such “mediation communications” are confidential.

The complaint filed earlier this month on behalf of local activist Pangioti Tsolkas alleges that the District’s Board “privately decided to settle the Lake Point litigation, as well as the specific terms upon which the lawsuit would be settled.” This, according to Tsolkas, is antithetical of Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law, which requires public business to be conducted in the public, not behind closed doors. Tsolkas says the settlement agreement obligates the District to buy a minimum of 50,000 tons of rubble mined by Lake Point, whether the excavated materials are needed or not, and allows Lake Point to sell water, a concept contrary to the basic premise that Florida’s water is a public resource managed for the public’s benefit.

According to Marcy LaHart, the attorney representing Tsolkas, “while avoiding the uncertainty of litigation is often in the public’s interest, the lengths to which the District has gone to keep secret its reasoning behind entering the Lake Point settlement agreement is unprecedented. Regardless of whether entering the settlement agreement was a good thing or a bad thing, every penny the District will spend implementing the agreement and complying with its terms is the public’s money, and the public has a right to know why their public officials chose to settle the case when and how they did.”

Media inquiries contact Marcy LaHart, marcy@floridaanimallawyer.

PBC Green Party Activist Samson Kpadenou Running for FL House of Representatives

The Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition urges you to get active in the District 87 race

See a map of District 87 below

Samson LeBeau Kpadenou is running as a Green candidate for the Florida House, representing District 87. Learn more at Samson2018.com.  

It's rare that an authentic grassroots community activist steps forward to engage in an electoral system dominated by corporate interests. This campaign represents one of these rare moments.

Samson (who many of us know as LeBeau) has been involved with the PBC Environmental Coalition and other environmental/social justice efforts for several years, attending meetings, hearings and demonstrations. He is the co-chair of the county and state Green Party, which had been one of the most active organizations in the PBCEC, offering support for local efforts to challenge over-development for the past two decades. On top of that, District 87 includes the northwest portion of Lake Worth, a long-time stronghold of environmental activists in South Florida.

In his own words:

As American discontent and deep political corruption and ineptitude in both of the major parties spilled onto our front pages and news feeds, I realized that almost across the board our political system had been corrupted to serve the wealthy few over the working many. I discovered that we have few honest actors in our government. I observed that our political class with their ivy league and business school degrees are no smarter than us, just better connected. I suddenly knew that if the people did not come together, hold government accountable and take our government back, things could only get worse for average Americans.

 

When I became civically engaged I found it to be my passion. I joined organizations that were fighting to make the political process answer to the people, or founded them where necessary. I began attending city and county commission and school board meetings and speaking out to them about issues that most impact our communities, like immigrant protections, environmental racism and gentrification. I took several trips to Tallahassee to argue for union rights, fracking bans, protections from wage and tip theft, public school funding and more.

I currently serve as co-chair to the Green Party of Florida and the Palm Beach County Green Party. I am the founder of Black Lives Matter Palm Beach County and the treasurer of the Palm Beach County Democratic Socialists of America. I am also an active member of the Palm Beach Tenants’ Union and the League of Women Voters.

Check out a great interview with him from CBS Ch 12

Follow and share his Facebook campaign page

Here is a map of District 87. Please reach out to any friends and family who can vote and are residents in these neighborhoods. Contact his campaign to volunteer.

FL House of Representatives, District 87

March 1st: Defeat the Racist Riviera Beach Bleach Plant Plan

On February 9th, residents of Riviera Beach and environmental justice activists across the county were successful in compelling the Planning and Zoning Board to make a recommendation that would stop the Odyssey proposal and to encourage the City Counsel to deny any future plans to locate in the City of Riviera Beach.

Odyssey bleach plant in Tampa, FL

This Wednesday, March 1st, 6pm at Riviera Beach City Hall, the City Counsel meeting will take a final vote on the matter. But residents are concerned that the Counsel will pass this proposal in spite of the Planning and Zoning Board's conclusion.

The proposed site is zoned General Industrial with a "special exception" requirement which means that the plan can only be approved if it can show that it will do no harm to the community.

The site is adjacent to a large apartment complex, surrounded by low-income, African American residential areas, schools, churches, and a large food company. All of these are within the 1/2 mile evacuation zone required by the US Emergency Responder guidelines for facilities handling liquid bleach, which is a code 1791 product. This requires an evacuation plan and a hazmat plan. 

Feb 9th Meeting on Massive Bleach Storage Facility Next to Residents of Riviera Beach

From the Environmental Assessment by ERMI

The Riviera Beach Planning and Zoning Board (P&Z) will be voting on approval for a massive bleach storage and distribution center this week, Thursday, Feb 9, 6:30 p.m. at the Council Chambers in Municipal Complex at 600 West Blue Heron Boulevard, 33404
 
News of the proposed facility, which seeks to store and 40,000 gallons of bleach and transport tankers during all hours of the day, only surfaced in December, and has received minimal coverage aside from a single story last month from CBS 12.

The conditions for approval (which can be viewed in the P&Z packet) say the plan must show that it will not harm the public interest, but the Environmental Assessment report conducted by a consulting firm, Environmental Risk Management, Inc (ERMI), lacks a cumulative impact assessment which shows all the other industrial facilities surrounding Riviera, all of which individually swear they are doing no harm, but collectively pose an environmental justice nightmare where racism is undeniable.

The Environmental Assessment also gives minimal information about impacts from a large accident in transportation, both on public health and on the waterways which drain into a sensitive and already overburdened coastal ecosystem.

The bleach plant would sit adjacent to a residential community, including home day care facilities.

PBCEC supports residents of Riviera Beach in asking the P&Z Board to conduct a series of public meetings to fully inform the community of this proposal.

Mass Civil Disobedience to Stop the Sabal Trail Pipeline from crossing the Suwannee River

The following is a call to action from Sabal Trail Resistance in North Florida:

Join us in putting a wrench into the gears of the pipeline machine. This will be a mass sit-in to stop the Sabal Trail fracked gas pipeline construction from drilling under the Suwannee River in Live Oak, FL.

Schedule:

Friday, Jan 13th, 4 - 6pm, we will hold a direct action and know your rights training for all participants (not just people risking arrest), at Water is Life Camp. For location see: www.facebook.com/WaterIsLifeCamp/ (Please do not bring dogs.)

Saturday, Jan 14th, 11am, we will gather at the Suwannee River State Park parking lot. Please plan to carpool as there is a $5 fee per car to park here. We will march on the drill site at 1pm sharp.

Sunday, Jan 15th, 8am till release, solidarity rally at jail and/or courthouse which may be holding water protectors. [Locations TBA]

Additional Details:

There are several options for camping in the area, including two free encampments and additional public and private campgrounds in the area.

Not everyone who attends needs to risk arrest, but we ask all to consider their role in making this a successful event. It will be a "power in numbers" moment.

There will be clear zones for higher risk and lower risk participants.

We will plan to avoid the risk of felony charges for the mass action, and anticipate any arrested will be released by the following morning. If you plan to participate in civil disobedience, please consider having funds available for bail/bond (or having your network assist in fundraising.)

If arrests occur, we believe that a "necessity defense" exists, which explains that "the degree of harm actually caused [will be] a reasonably proportionate response to the degree of harm threatened."
 
This legal defense strategy explains that laws can and should be broken when there is a real, imminent risk occurring... For example, peircing an aquifer that millions rely on for drinking water to transport a hazardous substance for private profit.

We encourage all who participate to request a public defender, retain their right to speedy trial and demand a trial by jury to present their defense.

More details on Sabal Trail Resistance can be found here.

  A list of other STR supporters can be found here.


Note: This is one action in a series of many to occur before and after. This one action is aimed at building broader support and creating a higher level of pressure on the system to stop this pipeline. If you can only make it out for one weekend this month, make it this one.

Reflections on Beating Back Biotech in the Northeast Everglades

An inside look at how Earth First! has helped keep a burgeoning biotech economy at bay for more than ten years in the venture capitalist mecca of Palm Beach County

by Panagioti Tsolkas / Earth First! Newswire

“…I guess it’s sort of an anti-technology backlash, anti-globalization. I don’t think that’s a prevalent attitude in this county.”  –Bevin Beaudet, Scripps Program Manager for Palm Beach County, USA Today, January 2005

Twelve years ago, when I joined the effort to stop the planned biotech city in the county where I lived, I didn’t anticipate that we could outlast—in some cases even outlive—our opponents. But that may be the case for our rag-tag group of grassroots activists in a decade-plus fight against the industry’s plans in South Florida.

In 2004, then-Governor Jeb Bush called biotech an “unstoppable train” while unveiling his plans to plow through 6,000 acres of swamp, forest and farm for a biotech city. Two years, several lawsuits and a couple dozen headline-making protests later, his plan lay near-dead in the swamp water of the Northeast Everglades. Scripps, the primary company associated with the plan, did finally drag itself up and open the doors on “Phase I” of their laboratories on a local university campus with a mere 10, 000 square feet of lab space; a minuscule fraction of their initial plan.

Within the last several years, Scripps, the state’s model for the speculated biotech boom, has shown deep internal cracks in its bureaucratic operations and financial stability. With the operation in disarray and opposition still on the move, the next few years could spell the end for what I viewed over ten years ago as a biocentrist’s wildest nightmare...

CONTINUE READING FULL ARTICLE ON THE EARTH FIRST! NEWSWIRE

JOIN US NOV. 19TH - SAVE THE BRIGER - STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH NO DAPL & AND STOPPING THE SABAL TRAIL PIPELINE

When a forest is destroyed and replaced with corporate interests it creates the demand for pipelines and all the destruction that comes with it! The Fight for water doesn't stop at Standing Rock, North Dakota - It doesn't stop at the Sabal Trail Pipeline  - It stops when we all get together against the corporate interests who are destroying the planet for more 

strip malls, housing developments, and seedy deals made by politicians.

Scripps Biotech, United Technologies, and Kolter aren't just the run of the mill corporate interests. Scripps is a Biotech corporation that has plans for an animal testing facility, United Technologies is in the business of military weapons and was responsible for the cancer cluster in the acreage, and Kolter has proven time and time again they have no interest in preserving what makes Florida unique and great with their destructive methods of development.

Join us Nov. 19th to Save the Briger and Protect our Water!

                                            

Candidate forum on the Ag Reserve for the County Commission Election

The Interfaith Justice League and the Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition is holding a candidate forum on the Ag Reserve and other environmental issues for all candidates for the County Commission on Thursday August 25, at 7:00 p.m. at Congregation L'Dor Va-Dor, 3475 Woolbright Road, Boynton Beach, Florida on the northeast corner of Woolbright and Military Trail next to Enterprise Leasing.

 

The format will be as follows:  Each candidate will make an opening statement and then a follow up statement after all the candidates have spoken to respond to the others.  We will then take questions and comments from the audience and we will conclude with each candidate making a closing statement.

 

PBCEC Supports the Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons' Rally Against Toxic Prison Slavery in Coleman, FL on Sept 10

Rally to End Toxic Prison Slavery in Solidarity with Upcoming Nationwide Prison Strike

Re-posted from FightToxicPrisons.org

Sept 9th is the 45th anniversary of the Attica Uprising in New York, where national attention was drawn to the problem of prisons in this country. This year there will public demonstrations in support of prisoners who have a called for a coordinated national work strike in response to extreme abuses they face, including toxic environments, discrimination and literal slavery based on the 13th Amendment which wrote prison slave labor into the U.S. Constitution.

The Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons (FTP) is calling for action in solidarity with the IWW Union’s Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC) and other prisoner-led groups in planning activities around Sept 9th.

We are spreading the word to our prisoner contacts to invite friends and family on the outside to participate in these necessary efforts to address the violations of civil rights and environmental justice that still occur behind bars.

The primary FTP event will occur on Sept 10th at 10am in front of the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) of Coleman, located at 846 NE 54th Terrace, Wildwood, Florida 34785.

FCC Coleman, which warehouses over 7,000 prisoners, surrounded by mining operations.

This location is the largest prison factory in the entire country, producing material goods for government agencies nationwide. Much of the very furniture which accommodates the offices of the bureaucrats that we live under is made by prison slaves at this facility.

Federal Prison Industries, also known as UNICOR, has over $34 million in contract obligation coming out of Bureau of Prison (BOP) facilities in Florida. This is three times higher than any other state in the country.

Briger developer Kolter embroiled in lawsuit over construction defects in Palm Beach Gardens

Protestors were seen once again in front of Kolter's downtown West Palm office last week, but it wasn't PBCEC or Everglades Earth First! This time is was residents of the San Matera condo in Palm Beach Gardens fighting over construction defects at a Palm Beach Gardens condominium complex which are at the center of a $40 million lawsuit. We extend our sympathies to people who got ripped off by the crooks at Kolter. Read more here.

Reportback from PB Gardens Candidate Forum

Image from the flyer handed out

Our presence was noticed. Thanks to the folks who came to help hand out flyers and hold a banner out front of the event.

We got over 200 flyers out to Gardens residents at the library and people attending the forum.

At least one person noted that he had also received the mailer we sent in December, and encouraged us to keep him and his neighbors in Palm Beach Country Estates in the loop as the development creeps further west, closer to their community.

We had a brief encounter with law enforcement, which resulted in library staff explaining that we could request permission to table any time we want out front of the high traffic library (for future reference... could be a great general outreach spot).

A local activist from PB Gardens, who has come to several meetings and protests, went inside the well-attended event and got in a question about development, with much support from the audience.

Let's keep the pressure on!

Join PBCEC in Protesting Scripps at Palm Beach Gardens Candidate Forum

Thursday, February 25, 5:30 PM - 8 PM

at Gardens Branch, Palm Beach County Library, 11303 Campus Drive Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

Tell Palm Beach Gardens Political Candidates to address the issues of Scripps' toxic biotech waste, United Technology's cancer clusters and the destruction of endangered species habitat in the Briger forest for animal testing labs.

The candidate's forum begins at 6:30pm.
It is sponsored by local Republican and Democratic Party groups, as well as the PBC Tea Party and other groups, so we anticipate a large crowd attending.


Please spread the word via this event page


More info on the forum here:
http://pbgwatch.com/2016/01/pbgwatch-to-co-host-council-candidate-forum-225/

More on Scripps and Briger
https://www.facebook.com/savethebrigerforest/?fref=ts

PBCEC's Invitation to Residents Neighboring the Briger Forest for Dec 5th Rally Against Corporate Cancer Clusters

The following letter was sent by a local homeowner with support from PBCEC on 11/24/2015 to thousands of residents in Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter and unincorporated Palm Beach County who live in communities surrounding the Briger property. [Details on Dec 5th Rally can be found here.]

Greetings Neighbor,

I am a homeowner in Palm Beach Country Estates. I’m sending this letter to ask for your help in protecting our community from over-development and hazardous pollution.

Surely you’ve noticed that construction has begun in the Briger Tract forest on Donald Ross Road, across from the FAU campus.

The current development plan entails clearing almost the entire 683 acres of forest on both sides of I-95, for homes, corporate offices, animal testing labs and biotech research.

What you have not likely heard is what these corporations will actually be doing.

•          What hazardous materials will they be researching with?
•          What kind of waste will they create?
•          How will they dispose of it? 
•         How could this effect property values?

As you also may have seen in the news over the years, Phase II of The Scripps Research Institute intends to deal with high-level pathogens and toxic substances such as anthrax, Mad Cow disease, radioactive materials and genetically engineered organisms.

In the past several months, USA Today has done a series exposing high-level “biolabs” and the frequency that they experience unreported accidents or operate without transparency nationwide. Their report listed Scripps’ facility on the Jupiter FAU campus as a problem facility with regard to failures in disclosing information needed to safeguard the public.

On top of this is the addition of United Technologies Corporation (UTC) into the development plan for Briger. UTC is at the top of the suspect list for bringing a cancer cluster to the Acreage with their repeated toxic spills causing water contamination in Western Palm Beach County. While they have attempted to dodge responsibility for this, they cannot deny their record of repeated environmental violations.

I am including links below for more info on Scripps and UTC so that you can follow up with your own research.

Welcome to Palm Beach Gardens:

Beware of Cancer Clusters and Killer Cops

by Panagioti Tsolkas

PBCEC is hosting a demonstration on December 5th 2015 to "Defend Briger Biodiversity from Corporate Cancer Clusters"

The group has been protesting plans to destroy the Briger forest to build a biotech city since 2009. One year ago, in November 2014, developers broke ground and have cleared over 100 acres despite all efforts to protect this unique forest which is home to many threatened and endangered species.

Now the site is slated to become the home of a shady biotech research development which will generate high-level toxic waste without public transparency, including facilities operated by United Technologies the most likely suspect in bringing a cancer cluster to the Acreage.

This development could not have happened without the City of Palm Beach Gardens’ approval, and specifically the actions of the Gardens police, who arrested protesters to literally clear the path for the bulldozers last year.

In October 2015, this same police department was responsible for the senseless and brutal killing of Corey Jones, a young black musician from Boynton Beach whose car broke down in Gardens.

The same system that is paving over rare forest habitat for corporate profits is putting cops on paid vacations for committing racist murders. This is not a local phenomenon—it’s happening all over the country.

It is critical that environmental activists nationwide to make these connections, to view police brutality as an environmental justice issue and to stand in solidarity with movements against state violence.

PBCEC has a strong history of challenging issues of environmental racism, some of which can be found in the links here. In relation to Scripps and biotech plans, PBCEC worked with residents of the Limestone Creek, a historic black community, to defeat plans for a Scripps spin-off biotech waste site in their Jupiter neighborhood.

Please educate yourself on the realities of racist, violent police, and how this impacts the communities who are often also most impacted by environmental injustice and pollution. The success of an environmental movement to fundamentally change the society we live in must recognize these connections to grow stronger.

For more info on the connections between police accountability and the earth defense come to this event:

The Ecology of a Police State
December 5th 8pm in Lake Worth
Stonzek Theater (Click here for details)
Participate in an evening of short films and discussion about the intersections of environmentalism, mass incarceration and the criminal justice system.

$5 - $10 donation at the door (no one turned away)

TOMORROW MORNING: Support Everglades Earth First! activists on trial blockading road used for construction in Briger Forest.

Message from Everglades Earth First!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1649626475298353/

• Tomorrow at 7:30am  Starts in about 9 hours · 85°F / 76°F Partly Cloudy

• Show Map Palm Beach County Courthouse 205 N Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, Florida 33400

Come out and support three Everglades Earth First! activists who are facing trial this week for blockading a road used for construction in Palm Beach Garden's Briger Forest.

There will be a press rally at 7:30 am before court begins. 

To learn more about the lockdown and the campaign to Scrap Scripps/Save the Briger Forest, click the links below.

Everglades Earth First! Media:
http://evergladesearthfirst.net/2014/11/13/activists-find-flaws-in-permits-and-plans-for-land-clearing-and-relocation-of-endangered-plants-and-animals/

News Channel 5:
http://www.wptv.com/news/region-n-palm-beach-county/palm-beach-gardens/environmental-protest-closes-friday-classes-at-the-meyer-academy-in-palm-beach-gardens#Activists%20protest%20development%20in%20PBG%2C%20prompting%20school%20closure

Call to Resist the 450th Celebration of Genocide and Ecocide in St. Augustine, FL on Sept 8th 2015

Visit Resist450.org for details and launch location

The Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition has joined the Resist 450 Coalition, consisting of statewide and national organizations. 

The following statement comes from Resist 450:

We are planning to demonstrate our opposition to the City of St Augustine’s commemoration, which is honoring and re-enacting the landing of Pedro Menendez on September 8^th. This re-enactment of Spanish conquistadors landing on present-day Florida is comparable to celebrating Adolf Hitler’s return for Jewish people. This ill-conceived landing will be at the Mission Nombre de Dios, 27 Ocean Ave, St Augustine, FL 32084 at 9:00am.

We are welcoming everyone to join us at sunrise that morning as a group of conscious canoeists and kayaktivists paddle out to meet the re-enactment as we show our support for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and to uphold our responsibility to bring awareness that Mother Earth is the source of life not a resource for exploitation. Others will gather at the shore with signs and banners during the re-enactment.

The Pedro Menendez impersonator represents the European colonial mentality of domination and privilege. This misguided and illegal belief is empowered by the Catholic Church’s papal bulls, which directed Christians to “capture, vanquish, and subdue the saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ,” to “put them into perpetual slavery,” and “to take all their possessions and property.” As Pope Francis is traveling the world apologizing to Indigenous Peoples for the Church’s actions, the City of St Augustine is still celebrating these acts of terror and theft. We, the Resist 450 Coalition, intend to show that we do not share the same values as those that are attempting to glorify the colonial mentality.

The City of St Augustine essentially became a prison town for Indigenous Peoples who were held at the Castillo de San Marcos. The origin of the City of St Augustine became the foundation for the abrogation of the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the blueprint for ecocide throughout the world.
 

This moment in history marks the beginning of what has become the United States Empire, built on genocide, ecocide, theft, slavery, war and exploitation of the Earth for profit. The "Doctrine of Discovery" is the root of the system that has brought the entire planet to the point of irreversible climate change, unprecedented period of mass extinction and the moral deterioration of society. 

This and other activities will take place as part of a week long camp from Sept 5 - 9, where Indigenous Peoples, activists and individuals wanting to be on the right side of history are invited to come together to promote peaceful solutions to assure the survival of the future generations of all life by addressing environmental, cultural and social justice issues.

If you cannot attend the event in St. Augustine, the Resist 450 Coalition asks that you participate in planning solidarity demonstration in your own community. The list of cities with Spanish Consulates offers an appropriate opportunity to deliver the message to "Renounce the 450th celebration of Spain's genocidal war criminals and the doctrines that promote the destruction of Nature for profit." 

The Resist 450 Coalition also invites donations to assist in the planning of the camp and demonstrations. Donations can be made by clicking here.

PBC Environmental Coalition Supports the Prison Ecology Project... You should too!

Earlier this month a Lake Worth-based organization, the Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC), submitted a public comment to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that provides input on the agency’s EJ 2020 Action Agenda Framework, highlighting the lack of consideration for environmental justice among the millions of prisoners in the United States. The comment was co-signed by the Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition, along with 92 other social justice, environmental and prisoners’ rights organizations from across the country.

HRDC has also announced the beginning of its Prison Ecology Project, an effort to organize at the intersection of mass incarceration and environmental pollution, and has launched a fundraising campaign to build off the recent EJ 2020 comment and fight against a new federal prison on endangered species habitat in southern Appalachia.


Please share this video with your local activists and social media networks

“It’s encouraging to see the EPA attempting to increase the effectiveness of protecting vulnerable communities that have been overburdened by industrial pollution, but a significant component is missing when impacts on millions of prisoners and their families are ignored,” said Panagioti Tsolkas, coordinator of HRDC’s Prison Ecology Project.

HRDC’s comment elaborates on examples nationwide which illustrate a clear need to protect prisoners as a population that faces extreme environmental justice impacts. For example, prisons and jails built on or near landfills, toxic waste dumps, Superfund cleanup sites and coal mining sites, or that are vulnerable to natural disasters such as flooding and environmental hazards like contaminated water. The comment filed with the EPA can be found online here.

According to the comment submitted by HRDC, there is overwhelming evidence that the population of people in prison represents one of the most vulnerable and uniquely-overburdened demographics in our nation.